Chevrolet Bolt EV Complaints (2019)

179 consumer complaints on file.

#11673407July 14, 2025
STEERING
Steering rack is binding, not returning to center after completing a turn. Only 50,000 miles on it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671085July 3, 2025
STEERING
Steering wheel does not return to center after making sharp turns. Steering wheel must be manually returned to center to avoid crashing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11662880May 23, 2025
STEERING
Power steering fails go return to center intermittently causing unexpected handling characteristics while turning that could cause to over/undershoot a turn. Haven't taken it to the dealer to check and there are no warnings or lights.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655468April 18, 2025
STEERING
I am filing this urgent safety complaint regarding a critical failure of the steering system in my 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV, which began experiencing problems at approximately 40,000 miles. This is not an isolated incident; numerous identical reports exist from other Bolt EV owners on public forums like Reddit ([XXX]) and [XXX], often occurring at similarly low mileage (typically 30,000-60,000 miles). The symptoms began with distinct clicking and knocking sounds when turning the steering wheel. This has progressed rapidly to increased steering effort (stiffness) and a failure of the steering wheel to return to center smoothly after a turn. This constitutes a severe and unacceptable degradation of a primary vehicle control system. When I had the vehicle inspected I was informed that the degradation would progress and risk my ability to safely steer the vehicle, and that the car should no longer be operated without performing a repair. A repair diagnosis indicated failure of the steering gear/rack assembly, with an initial repair quote of over $7000. This exorbitant cost is nearly prohibitive and approaches the residual value of the vehicle itself. It is deeply concerning and frankly unacceptable that a fundamental safety system like the steering is failing prematurely on these vehicles. Furthermore, the extremely high repair cost creates a dangerous secondary safety risk: owners may be forced to choose between a financially crippling repair or dangerously deferring maintenance, continuing to operate vehicles with compromised steering and risking catastrophic failure on the road. Steering integrity is paramount and should not be failing at such low mileage under any normal operating conditions. This pattern of premature steering failure reported by numerous owners indicates a potential design flaw, manufacturing defect, or component quality issue with the Chevrolet Bolt EV steering system that warrants immediate investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11654295April 12, 2025
STEERING
Low mileage vehicle purchased preowned with only 32,166 miles, and steering wheel (steering rack & pinion) is stiff and will not return wheel to center after turning more than a quarter turn.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11653798April 9, 2025
STEERING
Steering not returning to center when coming out of turns. Many have reported this issue with the steering rack. Concerned that steering will bind and cause an accident
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11624907November 13, 2024
STEERING
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to return to center after turning to the left or the right. The contact used excessive force to manually return the steering wheel to center. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the rack and pinion assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 24,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11614624September 14, 2024
STEERING
The steering wheel is very stiff; if you turn left or right, when you complete the turn, if you were to release the wheel, it does not counter-turn back towards the center. Put differently - in an open parking lot, you could turn the wheel all the way to one side, release the wheel, press the accelerator --- and you'd go in circles. This has been happening for some time, but just recently had it pointed out that it is not normal. I feel its a meaningful safety risk. I researched the issue online and it seems that it is common for this model but GM has been unresponsive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11605871August 1, 2024
STEERING
Steering wheel doesn't return to center after a turn, it must be turned back manually. If left unfixed this can cause the steering to lock up entirely when the steering gear fails.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11605548July 31, 2024
STEERING
Steering doesn't return to center when driving around 40mph on turns. You must manually move it back.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11598540July 3, 2024
STEERING
Around 46,000 miles this 5 yr old car began making popping sounds in the steering. Took into dealer and diagnosed steering rack failure and intermediate shaft. Cost to repair was close to $3,000. Looking into this, this is a common issue with Chevy Bolts due to poorly designed boots on the rack. This should be covered by a recall when failing so early. Happened to my previous 2018 Bolt too but the car was totaled in an accident prior to me undergoing the repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11592874June 6, 2024
STEERING
Vehicle steering does not return to center when exiting a gradual turn. This occurs intermittently. On line research indicates that this problem is likely the result of a faulty steering rack and that many other owners have experienced this behavior; as this could result in a dangerous situation I am reporting. The vehicle has about 43,000 miles on it. I have not had it repaired as yet.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588926May 15, 2024
STEERING
This is concerning a 2019 Chevy Bolt purchased new on [XXX] from Stewart Chevrolet in Colma, CA. Around January 2024, we realized the vehicle's steering wheel was not returning to center on its own, and it took more force than usual to turn the wheel -- it would stick as you turned it. The vehicle had about 26,861 miles when we noticed this steering issue. When performing a turn (at low speeds and on the highway) the steering wheel would remain in the turned configuration until you manually moved it back to center. The dealer advised us that the steering gear would need to be replaced. We replaced the steering gear on [XXX] at Stewart Chevrolet in Colma, CA. However, though the steering was improved the problem was not totally fixed; the steering would still stick and the wheel took more force than expected to turn. We had the car re-evaluated and on [XXX] the Stewart Chevrolet again replaced the steering gear; this did not fix the issue. Finally, Stewart Chevrolet has recommended that we replace the steering column. We haven't done this yet because we are still trying to get GM to cover the cost of repairs. A vehicle with such low mileage should not need these repairs, and if you search online you will find many other Chevy Bolt owners across all models years having these issues. Please investigate and determine whether a recall is advised. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11586817May 3, 2024
STEERING
The steering rack failed. It is currently at the dealership waiting for parts to come in so it can be replaced. The car started making noises when making sweeping turns. The noise got worse and the steering was not coming back to center coming out of turns. We had it inspected at our local mechanic and they told us it needed a new steering rack but they were not able to complete the repair because it was complicated to get into the part that needed to be replaced. We took it to the Chevrolet dealership and they confirmed it needs a new steering rack as well as other related parts. There were no warning lights or messages. The car first started making faint noises about a month ago when doing low speed turns in a parking lot. Noise has been getting louder and we started to notice the steering not responding correctly. Only have one invoice for diagnosis, have not yet received invoice for repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576978March 12, 2024
STEERING
The steering rack on my 2019 Chevy Bolt failed and had to be replaced. It was unsafe to drive the vehicle because the steering wheel would not return to center by itself. When making a turn, the driver had to force the steering wheel back to center. The dealer tried to fix this faulty condition last August by replacing the intermediate steering shaft. It marginally improved the condition but it was still not returning the steering wheel to center by itself. I reluctantly accepted this condition as normal because I thought the dealer tech thought it was normal. However, the steering got progressively more dangerous and required more and more effort to return the steering wheel to center. I took my vehicle into the dealer on March 3, 2024 and the dealer determined the steering rack was defective and needed to be replaced. I got my Bolt back today and now the steering works properly. I no longer fear that the steering will lock up and cause me to lose control of the vehicle. I see on the Chevy Bolt Forum that others have experienced my Bolt steering problem. I just wanted to report my problem so the NTSHA can add my problem to the list of complaints.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576689March 11, 2024
STEERING
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while veering to the left or right, the steering wheel failed to return to center as expected and the vehicle was difficult to steer. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact researched the failure and linked the failure to the steering rack. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11562410December 28, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The infotainment screen suddenly froze and blasted an extremely loud static noise that nearly caused an accident. It has a lot of problems with freezing
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11555988November 20, 2023
STEERING
Our 2019 Chevy Bolt experienced some of kind of steering issue where the car made a "clicking" type of noise when making slight or big turns to the left or the right. We brought the car to our Chevy dealer who diagnosed the issue as a faulty steering gear and tie rod with both parts needing to be replaced. The dealer told us that the Chevy Bolts are known to be "fragile" when it comes to this issue and that hitting a pot hole could cause this level of damage. We could have driven over a pot hole under normal driving conditions but did not have a specific incident in mind that could have caused this. There were no warning lamps or other messaging other than the sound we could hear during turns. While the parts are not that expensive, the labor is - the cost of the repair with the parts is $3,400
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11548172October 4, 2023
STEERING
Steering wheel does not return to center when turning right. Driver must manually turn wheel back to center.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11532653July 17, 2023
STEERING
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and turning, the steering wheel failed to return to the center. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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